Optical fiber inner tube connector

Abstract

A simple optical fiber inner tube connector mainly includes a tubular body being divided into two receiving chambers by at least an annular rib in the tubular body. Each of the receiving chambers is provided around its inner wall surface with a spirally extended thread and at least an engaging tooth located between the annular rib and an inner end of the spiral thread. When two optical fiber inner tubes are to be connected to each other by means of the connector, they are separately screwed into the two receiving chambers so that the engaging teeth tightly engage into outer wall surfaces of the two optical fiber inner tubes for them to accurately align with each other and firmly locate in the connector. Waterstop sleeve members made of elastically deformable material may be put around outer wall surface of the tubular body near two ends thereof to fitly and tightly cover the joint of the connector and the optical fiber inner tubes and to align the inner tubes with the tubular body.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An optical fiber inner tube connector, comprising a tubular body defining an inner space which is divided into two receiving chambers by at least an annular rib extended around an inner wall surface of, said tubular body; and each of said receiving chambers being located along said inner wall surface with a spirally extended thread starting from one side near outer end of said tubular body and ending at another side near said annular rib, and at least one circumferentially extended engaging tooth located in a portion of said inner wall surface between said annular rib and an end of said thread; whereby two optical fiber inner tubes that are to be connected to each other by the connector can be screwed into said two receiving chambers via two ends of said tubular body, so that said engaging teeth can tightly engage into outer wall surfaces of said two optical fiber inner tubes around inner ends thereof for said two optical fiber inner tubes to accurately align the tubes with each other and firmly locate the tubes in said connector. 
     
     
       2. An optical fiber inner tube connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said threads in said two receiving chambers of said tubular body spirally extend in opposite directions. 
     
     
       3. An optical fiber inner tube connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said engaging teeth in said receiving chambers of said tubular body are not helical teeth and do not spirally extend. 
     
     
       4. An optical fiber inner tube connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said engaging teeth in said receiving chambers of said tubular body have pitch and depth larger than that of said spiral threads. 
     
     
       5. An optical fiber inner tube connector as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said engaging teeth in said receiving chambers of said tubular body have pitch and depth larger than that of said spiral threads. 
     
     
       6. An optical fiber inner tube connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said tubular body is located around said inner wall surface near two ends of said tubular body with at least two waterstop seal rings. 
     
     
       7. An optical fiber inner tube connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of said two receiving chambers of said tubular body is located around a portion of said inner wall surface between said annular rib and the end of said spiral thread with a waterstop locating ring. 
     
     
       8. An optical fiber inner tube connector as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said waterstop locating ring is made of a material with a predetermined flexibility to allow elastic deformation thereof. 
     
     
       9. An optical fiber inner tube connector as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein one side of each of said waterstop locating rings facing toward the end of said tubular body is a radially inward including annular surface. 
     
     
       10. An optical fiber inner tube connector as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein each of said waterstop locating rings is located along an inner peripheral surface and includes an annular groove to allow said waterstop locating rings to elastically deform under axial compression. 
     
     
       11. An optical fiber inner tube connector as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising two waterstop sleeve members separately located around an outer wall surface of said tubular body near two ends thereof for covering two ends of said tubular body. 
     
     
       12. An optical fiber inner tube connector as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said waterstop sleeve members are made of an elastically deformable material. 
     
     
       13. An optical fiber inner tube connector as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said waterstop sleeve members located around said tubular body are foldable into multiple layers and are stretched to cover said two ends of said tubular body. 
     
     
       14. An optical fiber inner tube connector as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein every two adjacent layers of said waterstop sleeve members in said folded state have a clearance between them. 
     
     
       15. An optical fiber inner tube connector as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein said clearance between every two adjacent layers of said folded waterstop sleeve members is filled with lubricant. 
     
     
       16. An optical fiber inner tube connector as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein said lubricant filled in said clearance between every two adjacent layers of said folded waterstop sleeve members comprises talc powder. 
     
     
       17. An optical fiber inner tube connector, comprising a tubular body defining an inner space which is divided into first and second receiving chambers for respectively receiving first and second optical fiber inner tubes, the spaced being divided by at least an annular rib extending around an inner wall surface of said tubular body; the first of said receiving chambers being located along said inner wall surface and including (a) a spirally extending thread starting from a first side near an outer end of said tubular body and ending at a second side near said annular rib, and (b) at least one circumferentially extending engaging tooth located in a portion of said inner wall surface between said annular rib and an end of said thread; whereby the first optical fiber inner tube that can be received by the first chamber and connected to the second inner tube can be screwed into said first receiving chamber via the first end of said tubular body so that said at least one engaging tooth can tightly engage an outer wall surface of said first optical fiber inner tube around an inner end of the first tube. 
     
     
       18. The combination of  claim 17 , wherein said at least one engaging tooth of said tubular body is not a helical tooth and does not extend spirally. 
     
     
       19. The connector of  claim 17  connected to the first and second optical fiber inner tubes in the first and second receiving chambers, said at least one engaging tooth tightly engage an outer wall surface of said first optical fiber inner tube around an inner end of the first tube. 
     
     
       20. The combination of  claim 19  wherein said at least one engaging tooth of said tubular body is not a helical tooth and does not extend spirally. 
     
     
       21. The combination of  claim 19  wherein the second chamber includes (a) another spirally extending thread starting from a first side near another outer end of said tubular body and ending at another second side near said annular rib, and (b) at least another circumferentially extending engaging tooth located in another portion of said inner wall surface between said annular rib and another end of said thread.